Mumbai: Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and two other accused have been sent to custodial remand till October 7 in connection with the drugs-on-cruise case. The trio were taken to the court by the Narcotics Control Bureau on October 5.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh said that they need custody of the three accused to verify facts and their links. In a society, youngsters are worst affected by the drug menace. "We have also intercepted the party organisers," ASG told the court.
ASG also added that accused Aryan Khan had gone to the ship on invitation, he was present there among people who've been apprehended with drugs. "There are chats between you and others about drugs. So there must be a thorough investigation of all these things," he said.
Satish Maneshinde appearing for Aryan Khan said no substance was seized from his client. "If my client is released on bail, then he will be available to join the investigation by NCB," said Maneshinde. "If any substance is seized from any other persons (co-accused) that doesn't make any grounds to take my client into custody," added Maneshinde.
Meanwhile, the central agency led by NCB chief Sameer Wankhade resumed raids on Cordelia, the cruise. Khan and two others have been sent to custody by a special holiday court of additional metropolitan magistrate R.K. Rajebhosale till October 4. The Bollywood actor's son and others, including Munmun Dhamecha and Arbaaz Merchant, were arrested based on the seizure of banned drugs onboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.
Advait Sethna, advocate for the NCB, sought custody of the accused for two days on the ground that the investigation is at a nascent stage and more raids were being carried out to apprehend the supplier of drugs. Aryan Khan's advocate Satish Maneshinde argued that his client was invited to the event being held on the cruise by the organisers. “No incriminating material has been recovered from him (Aryan). There is no possession or evidence of consumption,” he said.
Maneshinde said he would file an application seeking bail for Aryan Khan on Monday. "Although the sections under which he (Aryan) has been booked are all bailable offences. I am willing to settle for a one-day NCB custody so that we can file for bail before the regular court," he said.
In total, eight people were nabbed by the NCB and those include Munmun Dhamecha, Nupur Sarika, Ismeet Singh, Mohak Jaswal, Vikrant Chhoker, Gomit Chopra, Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant. Earlier, Aryan Khan, Arbaz Seth Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were taken for a medical examination and later arrested. As per the NCB sources, the trio confessed to carrying drugs with them on the cruise.
The operation followed a tip-off on the proposed rave party that was planned aboard a cruise ship bound on a Mumbai-Goa voyage, setting sail from the International Cruise Terminal, Mumbai. The advertisement of the party was reportedly disseminated via social media with the ticket rates at Rs75,000 per person.
To avoid detection, the NCB sleuths booked themselves on that cruise as ordinary passengers and they soon found some of their co-passengers consuming drugs. Different drugs like MDMA, ecstasy, cocaine, MD (mephedrone) and charas were recovered from them during the raid.
Meanwhile, the cruise company distanced itself from the incident. In a statement issued on Sunday, Jurgen Bailom, CEO of Waterways Leisure Tourism Pvt Ltd, stated that Cordelia Cruises is in no way, directly or indirectly, connected to this incident. Cordelia Cruises had chartered its ship for a private event to a Delhi-based event management company, he had mentioned. The cruise company is extending all its support and cooperation to the authorities, the statement further said.
The Congress party on Sunday, however, alleged that the raid conducted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on a cruise ship in Mumbai and subsequent action against some persons was an attempt to deflect attention from the "real issue" of the drugs seizure at Mundra port in Gujarat. Last month, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had seized 2,988.21 kg of heroin, likely worth Rs 21,000 crore in the global market, from two containers at the Adani-operated Mundra port in Gujarat's Kutch district. Congress sought an SC-monitored investigation into the drug seizure at Mundra port.
Also read: NCB gets custody of Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and others
